Go
by SoulsandSwords
Summary: Leiko Tanaka, a young woman fixated on speed, has landed the chance of a lifetime when she is recruited by a group of scientific heroes and dubbed as GoGo Tomago. Still, this girl with a fountain of emotions and a crippled relationship with her brother Hiro discovers that what's more damaging than a new villain in the city... is the pain that lurks inside her heart.
1. I Like Fast

**Souls_&_Swords: I guess this is only the title until I think of something better... Unless you guys like it. Suggestions are welcome! This is another AU story and it is a gift to my younger brother; I've never written a story with an older-sister younger-brother theme so this is kind of my own treat! Might just be more of the same as my previous BH6 fic, but it's up to you. Also, I've never written in first person narrative before... So go easy on me. Please leave feedback (and title suggestions PLEASE, only a working title unless I grow fond of it.) **

**Rated T for emotion, mature situations and A LOT of foul language. Seriously, we have ratings for a reason. All from the perspective of Leiko Tanaka (GoGo Tomago)**

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><p><strong>行く<strong>

**Go**

Maybe I'm just a hopeless case like everyone says I am. A reckless, sociopathic case of crazy with no future ahead of me. I think this all in my head as I rev up the engines of my motorbike. Out on an open, grassy and flat field away from the city and commotion. My identity was concealed behind a dark, tinted helmet and my riding gear I'd brought along with me. No one _had_ to see I was cutting school again; my uniform was stuffed at the bottom of my bag where the more important stuff could be visible‒a water bottle and my biking gloves, San Francisco is always hot as hell, and sitting on a metal contraption that had to warm up just to move two miles an hour without some sort of blockage wasn't a smart idea.

I had an extra cannister of gasoline with me this time, although it didn't matter‒my _anger_ is what feuled my ride. I don't just like fast for no particular reason, I like it because it means I can get away from my troubles more quickly. The faster I ride, the faster and harder my anger goes away. Sometimes though, I'm angry for no reason; I'm seventeen, so it's not a surprise.

Today was no exception to my random outbursts of rage‒but I knew I had _a lot_ of riding to do. Trusting no one would be interested enough to look through my bags, I left them there. I kicked up the breaks and speeded ahead of me, the pathways trailing far behind me just as my hatred was. People liked to say I'm 'reckless,' I prefer 'fearless.'

Lucky for me, I lived in Northern California, so I had plenty of hills to ride up horizontally on. I could hang myself off the side of my cycle if I wanted, I rode up and down grassy dunes, hoping if my momentum was high enough, I'd go soaring...

It's never fast enough this damn bike‒stupid tires squeal whenever I've reached my non-existent limit, so I skid. Today I skidded twenty feet and ended up on a ledge where I could look out at the city. San Francisco was the same as always, dreary and (at least today) foggy. Still, I guess I should appreciate it more; it's my home. The only place I can _call_ home... the Golden Gate Bridge still somehow left me breathless every time I gazed down on it. That's right, _down_. I loved going high and fast to escape from people.

This wasn't always the case; sometimes I'd practice down on the shores by the bridge, but stupid people would be sitting in the way and didn't know how to move their asses on time! Lucky for them, I knew how to _stop_ on time or leap over them. For a Japanese-Korean teenager who's only five-foot-four, I'm stronger than I look.

I need to be.

I threw my helmet off when I felt the wind starting to blow; the cold nipped at my nose and cheeks as it swept my think dark, and currently oily and messy hair out of my face. Almost no one got to see my hair when I cared enough to make it look nice‒I hadn't shampooed it in a while since the purple streaks I'd added still neededa day or two to settle in before it was safe to wash it again.

The little things I liked to do to rebel; ole' daddy would never have let me leave the house if I wasn't pinned up to my chin and if my hair wasn't in pigtails. It's not long enough for that anymore anyway.

I never had moments of serenity like this; my anger was slowly seeping out of my veins and I let my face soak up the sun a little, or whatever sun that was peaking through the clouds and mist. It didn't even occur to me that I should've been thinking about my younger brother getting home from school and not finding me there. Little bug should be used to it by now, but the fourteen-year-old bucket of worry would call the police for sure.

My brother Hiro is all I have to call 'family' now. Even if we _don't_ share the same last name, no fucker better dare call him my 'half-sibling;' he's the only brother I've ever had and he's the only decent family member I've interacted with**‒**not to mention, the _only_ one I'll ever interact with anymore. I was _going_ to have my last name changed, but before my mother (no one _dare_ call her my 'step-mother'), my only light and hope before all got shot to hell could officially adopt me... left us under tragic circumstances.

I'm not gonna digress to _that_, it's nobody's concern.

The more I felt the wind gliding against my body, the less I cared about Hiro or the cafe I worked at to help us get by... Ole' daddy I mentioned earlier isn't with us either, but I like it that way, and so does Hiro. I know he's not pretending. We lived above said cafe, it wasn't like it'd be _totally_ deserted... Hiro should know the ropes by now, and if he really was my brother, he'd know to take my shift just for a little bit longer. He wasn't a busy student anway... He was literally only there to tutor for god's sake.

My brother, need I remind is only fourteen, graduated high school a year ago. His tutoring helps us with extra money too, so I probably _should_ show him I'm grateful by now missing my shift tonight... But today I found myself just sitting on that ledge with my bike; waiting for the fog to clear and the traffic coming and going and going and coming.

I liked fast, I liked high, and I liked alone.

And besides, it wasn't like I didn't know my way back; I knew every short cut across the city to get to where I needed to be. Sometimes I never wanted to stop, just keep going to wherever I wanted... To unscrew those breaks on my bike and keep riding as fast as I wanted. But still, Hiro made me feel like I was needed, so I _had_ a reason to slow down every once in a while.

It was just that today I didn't want to be home, I wanted to leave. Granted, I _always_ wanted to leave but today especially something was crippling my happiness; I just couldn't find a reason good enough to return home... Not even Hiro was enough motivation.

...Well, I guess it was time I showed myself that I _still_ had it good somehow. To remind myself that still living under a stable rooftop with a brother who loved me (at least most of the time) was good enough for my unsatisfied self. I drove casually down the hillside, found my bag untouched and chugged down half of my warm water and then got myself on the familiar roads home. Of course _now_ even the shortcuts I took home were empty because I was now abnormally late‒there was my usual running late, and then there was something's happened to me late, it was currently getting to the latter point.

Everything was boring as always until some jackass Jay-walking cross the road made me come bouncing to a sudden halt. He flinched back, the damn man who looked stoned as all hell and he proceeded to curse me out. As if that was going to effect me; I cracked my neck back in place and reved my handles, ordering him to move. He proceeded to go on with 'fucking bitch!' 'Ya coulda killed me!' etcetera, 'fucking bitches don't know nothin'!' If he were in his right mind saying that, I would've given him the finger. But one couldn't be too sure with a man on drugs; and like _he_ was the only one in trouble there! I could've broken my fucking neck!

Okay, I already got rid of my anger for today, don't hold in anymore... I need to sleep well tonight, so save it for tomorrow. But that wasn't the end of it, this time a whole gang of stoners were crossing the street in the middle of road. Not like there was anyone else out, but _this_ time it pissed me off. When they didn't even bother to hop out of the way, I skidded my bike to the side, kicked the brake down and threw off my helmet, glaring at them as hatefully as I could feel, "What the hell is your problem?!" I shouted, they all began ooh-ing and ah-ing and all coming up with some BS explanations.

I didn't care, I just wanted to make them feel bad, "Jay-walking's fucking illegal! I could've fucking ran over you assholes!" I never watched my tongue, I didn't _have_ to anymore. It felt empowering‒got the left over taste of rage out of my mouth.

"Chill girl!" One said, a larger man height wise, "We're just walking here!"

My blood was broiling, but at least now I had a reason to speed home without stopping; I pulled my helmet back over my head, "Whatever." My voice was amplified within said headgear, "Just get out of my way." I repositioned my cycle ready to speed home, but none of the four moved.

"What's the hurry?" Some fucking ape dared put his fucking boot on my front wheel, "We were just talking about scoping some fine ladies like yourself." I kept a composed face on, though they couldn't see my expression from behind my tinted visor, and I twisted one of my handles. I ducked forward a little, causing him to leap off and he stepped back, "Whoa! I see! A feisty one!" His friends laughed and cheered, but I didn't submit. I heeled forward again, nudging them back some more, one finally stepped out of the way, "Come on, don't be like that!" He ushered with a smile on his face.

It was grating, but then I felt the tight suffocation of someone's arms around my neck. The arms of a man who'd just smoked his insides dry and numbed his brains. I wasn't afraid, but the sudden choking and claustrophobic sensation had a shocked cry escape my throat. Unforutnately _he_ had the upper hand since I'd been caught off guard; I was dragged off my bike which fell heavily to its side. I tried punching, but it was no use for someone who'd just boosted their strength with some sort of illegal sustenance.

I'll admit, my stomach even siezed when they managed to throw my helmet off and pin me by the shoulders to the wall. I growled, I snarled, I hissed, but it was all for not when one tried to snatch at my zipped jacket. Oh no way in hell! I kicked the one pulling at my collar furiously, sending him to his knees groaning, and I headbutted the man holding me down forcefully.

With the teeth coming down on the tip of my tongue, I jammed my bike back onto its wheels and managed to scoot it a little forward before someone's hand was smashed over my face. The whole scuffle was much too quiet for anyone to hear. I'm sure my looks could convince anyone I knew how to roundhouse a gang, but in truth, I didn't know how to fight. And quite frankly, I never realized how horrifying being attacked by more than one person could be. I was going to finally see the consequences of not following the rules and being home on time...

Or so I thought.

A siren wailed‒I should've seen the blue and red lights of the San Francisco police cars but my eyes were watering too much from the man's nails that scraped my face. I was released, grabbing onto the handles so I didn't topple over. The cops simpered around us until they figured out who was to blame... And because of, who knows, _logic_, we were all shoved against the hood of a car.

"Name!" He hollered into my ear, wrists being cuffed tightly behind my back. I whispered something snide at first, unbelievably agitated beyond description, but he demanded it again. Not that this was the _first_ time this particular cop had probably arrested me. I've committed some misdemenours in the past just to fuck with 'daddy.'

"Leiko Tanaka." I bared my teeth, half of the San Francisco legal department could most likely identify me by now. To make matters worse, they were towing my bike off, my helmet abandoned on the side of the road. I was carted to the stupid police department where the chief, a man I was quite familiar with, greeted me.

"Leiko Tanaka! So nice to see you again. And this time it was _three_ months since I last saw you." Smartass I snarl in my mind, trying to maintain a minimally annoyed expression, "Well." He chuckled, no one thought much of me in this town, "You know the drill by now, one phone call to whoever can bail you out."

This was bullshit, "This is bullshit! I didn't do anything this time! I was assaulted!"

"No one ever _did anything_ they say." Fuck this town!

"Those creeps were Jay-walking!" I was being tugged to my usual cell, I was never in it longer for an hour and a half, but they somehow made it mine, "They dragged me off my bike! _They're_ the ones at fault!"

"If you didn't have a history of misdemenours I'd have an easier time believing you, Tanaka." He fiddled with his cards on the table, making me want to spit right on his ten fold. More anger to save for tomorrow.

I got thrown into my little cage, called home, then sat and waited. Waited and waited until running in came my brazen, fast-talking, messy-haired and brown-eyed brother. He had more of the Japanese look than I did; I have the round face and high cheek bones from my mom's Korean side. Hiro has a longer, more oval-shaped face and bigger eyes than I do. Although I normally hate distinguishing our two different mother's, it makes sense that Hiro has the Japanese look compared to me since his mother (and the only mother I ever truly had) was from the states; Caucasian.

It was often hard for other people to believe we were siblings... Fine, we're only 'half-siblings' but that's the only time I'll ever admit it!

"Name?"

"Hiro Hamada!" He sounded breathless; running from the taxi cab outside all the way inside couldn't have been _that_ exhausting!

"You here for?"

"My sister, Leiko Tanaka." We were lucky to even afford our family's house and somehow pay for the occasionaly bail... I always made it up to Hiro by working my shift downstairs from our little home overtime. I saw the chief lift his head and give him a look, Hiro looked back and saw me in my cell. I hadn't seen him all day, so I did what any good sister would do and gave him a grin.

When the chief looked back at me to confirm it was the truth, Hiro furrowed his brow and gave me a glare; siblings had a telepathy, he mouthed to me _what the hell, Leiko?!_ and quickly reverted back to his flustered self when the chief turned back and said, "Alright."

He unlocked the doors and my brother and I headed out... I even gave a polite 'have a nice day' to the bastard.

Just a typical fucking day for me...


	2. The One Who Means Most To Me

**Souls_&_Swords: New cover! And yes, I'm keeping the title.**

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><p>We were quiet in the taxi for obvious reasons, though Hiro was pouting childishly with his arms crossed in the seat next to me. He kept giving me sharp glares that made me want to shove his face into the window. The station should've only been a fifteen minute ride from home, but with my luck we kept getting every single red light even though there was no one out on the fucking streets.<p>

We at last were dropped off at the Lucky Cat Cafe; it was closed and dark. Upstairs was our humble, empty home that was now too big for two people. Hiro thanked the cab driver a thousand times while I waited at the door, seeing his face sink into anger through the glass' reflection. My fourteen-year-old brother stomped towards me and instead of unlocking the damn thing so we could get out of the humid air, he stared at me.

"What?" I humored him. Hiro's brows made a 'V' shape and he snarled his gap-tooth at me; a little mysterious trait he got neither from our mom nor dad.

"You know what!" Of course I did, I just felt like irritating him so that we were at the same level, "You know I just _love_ getting calls on busy Friday nights," he rambled on and on as he tried to find the right key, "saying that my sister got arrested... _again_!" He was lucky the lock clicked and it opened, because I was about ready to shove him through the glass doors.

"I didn't do anything this time!" He should believe me! I even said 'this time!' what more did he want from me? "Some stoned assholes dragged me off my bike and tried to play with me!"

Hiro's eyes had the most expression about him... he could have an entire conversation just by looking into them. Wide, brown, and expressive. Mine were copper but more almond shape thanks to my Korean, anonymous mother. I wish I had his Caucasian-Japanese look. Nevertheless, little brother was staring at me suspiciously, "What?!" He hissed, "Then why were _you_ there?"

"Do you think I know?!" Seriously, I wasn't in the mood for this, "They just blame me for no fucking reason!" I went upstairs and he followed. I didn't care, I just wanted something carbonated.

"That's not true Leiko!" God, I abhorred how he tried to sound authoritative over me; I'm seventeen, he's fourteen. Remind me, who is the adult here? I heard him skulking behind the counter as I searched the fridge for a soda, it wasn't like we had much in there anyway, "There's a reason they blame you."

Here we fucking go again. I couldn't see him but I knew Hiro was counting on his fingers, "The shop-lifting‒"

"I was just trying to see if it would fit in my jacket pockets for _after_ I bought it." People jump to conclusions too fucking quickly if something still has a price tag on it. My brother's voice was making my head pound as he went on.

"Outside the store?!" Although he made me want to stab his tongue out at the moment, I couldn't find myself to get completely annoyed with him, "Then there was the illegal motorbike racing!"

"I _still_ want my money!" I opened up a can of _Sprite_ I finally found, thinking about how that fatass still owed me for winning fair and square.

"The _Joy-Riding_... Leiko!" He ended his sentence with an intense snap of my name. Just _one_ little speed through San Francisco in my friend's car. I don't need brakes; after all fast was my thing.

"No one got hurt!" I responded calmly as I pleasantly sipped my carbonated-lemonade (that's basically what _Sprite_ is, right?). Hiro still threw a tantrum and slammed his hands on the table.

"You _could've_ is the point!" I couldn't go to bed angry‒Yes, I still had so much to save for tomorrow, but I needed to take some out without hurting my brother at the same time.

"Well you didn't do much better tonight! Coming here in a taxi cab!"

"Oh!" He lifted his hands up and exaggerated, "Sorry I didn't pull up to the police station in a fucking limousine!"

"If we had walked home," I tried to make a peace offering, I grabbed a coke from the bottom drawer of the fridge, "we could've fought it out by now. Soda?" I smirked, but Hiro wasn't in the mood I could tell.

"You're not taking me seriously Leiko."

"I am." I really was, but I needed to save my rage so I could ride fast again tomorrow. Surely they'll have my bike towed its usual place by then. I finished taking another chug from the can, "We've had this damn conversation so many times that it's getting old."

"It _is_." What do you know, we agreed! But Hiro always had something to add on, "That's why you have to stop trying to be this 'rebel without a cause' kind of person." I nodded, pretending that his words still fazed me and I slid him his can of coke. I was chugging down the last of my drink when his voice then stung my ears, "Dad's not here for you to rebel against anymore."

My heart sank into my stomach and came back up in a boiling rage. Still, I kept composed, wiped my lips, moist from the soda and shook my head, "That has nothing to do with this." I growled lowly; it was involuntary‒just the very thought of him made me feel like I was bleeding to death on the inside.

"Oh really? It seems like that even after dad was gone, you've gotten _worse_. You have nothing to prove anymore. So why do you always end up in trouble?"

"Why are you asking so many stupid questions?!" I crushed my empty can and launched it at the floor. I'd had enough of him and his stupid fucking lectures, _I'm_ the older one for god's sake! I pushed him aside and went up the second flight of stairs to my room across from his; down the hall from the locked and vacant master bedroom.

I heard Hiro breathe heavily for a moment, then I heard him say, "I hated him too Leiko!" The venom in his voice was enough proof, but it wasn't enough to calm my swollen heart, "You know I did! But you gotta stop pretending he's still here!" I nearly broke my neck with how forceful I turned myself around. I wanted him to see the poison in my eyes.

"I DON'T." I gritted my teeth. Why the hell would I pretend I still lived in the same house as the spawn of satan? When he died in a car accident six months ago, I was both thrilled and terrified‒thrilled that Hiro and I were safe at last... but terrified because now we fended for each other and ourselves. That's why I never let myself get fully angry at Hiro, we're all we have. Even now as he was scolding me, I knew it was because he saw I was better than what I was. I just wasn't ready for that however.

My brother remained speechless and continued with his intimidating look‒it was his expressive eyes again, narrowed bitterly. I gave him a snide 'whatever' or something and I took my shower. Hiro never bothered me after my shower since he knew it was always after I washed myself when I wanted to be alone in my room for the night.

It was that particular night I shampooed my hair for the first time in a few weeks; now that my highlights were settled it wouldn't matter. My roots felt sensational afterwards, my hair came out so soft when it dried and I combed it. These days my hair was a bob-cut that didn't pass my chin... _He_ always thought a young woman should keep her hair long, but my mother had an elegant bob cut that left me in awe everyday I saw her. I don't remember seeing her once with hair that touched her shoulders. It was her that gave me permission to cut my hair and defended me from... from my father afterwards.

It's still hard to call him that sometimes. He did nothing other than fertilize me to earn such a title... God, I get the most painful swell in my throat; a lump the size of a baseball whenever I think of how unfair life was‒how it should've been _him_ first and not mom. Or _him_ and _never_ mom. Not everything happens for a reason... Time doesn't heal everything. Philiosophy was a lie‒what purpose did I have?

This is what went through my head every time I lied my head down on my pillow. Lately despite I went to sleep on my stomach or on my side, curled up against a second pillow, I woke up on my back. It's only strange because it had been recently I was doing so; often times did I sleep-toss was during stressful times... It wouldn't be any surprise if I woke up staring at my cieling fan on high power.

Sleeping in the cold was soothing to me; I could bundle up underneath my sheets and feel protected. It was just _that_ night, just _that_ night did I feel peculiar. I almost never not (double negative for a reason!) sleep through the night, but I guess I was stirring. Just for a moment I blinked and there was a figure.

It was too dark and my eyes were too heavy to make it out, but next to my bed standing over me I saw _him_. Oh god he was here! He was bruised and bloodied and alive. And worse he was here! I didn't know how to react, my fear was too strong. I leapt upright and screamed‒Then suddenly out came another scream, stacatto.

I must've terrified myself because my heart was pounding and I was sweating. I always kept my fan on for a reason. God... I couldn't breathe. I tried to catch it quickly but so I didn't make myself faint. But where was _he_? Where was‒

My door opened and Hiro, with hair somehow messier than his normal rat's nest and night wear appeared before me, bore the most flustered look I'd seen him wear, "Leiko!" He said with a slight panic as he arrived, not moving from the doorway. He knew my room was my space.

Hiro knew _me_.

I was still catching my breath, but it wasn't coming... I was going too fast; I caught myself and slowed down.

"Leiko, you okay?" He took one step in, I guess just to confirm I was in there. I looked around my bed for the figure, but it was gone. I took too long to say anything and Hiro made assumptions, "Did you have a bad dream?"

"No." I quickly denied. I didn't know why at the time, but now I know it was because I didn't want my little brother, the one _I _was supposed to protect, see me afraid, "I just thought I saw someone in my room." That wasn't _technically_ a lie.

Hiro shook his head, "You were just dreaming. You're okay." He kept his voice soft and soothing, just like mom would've. Hiro was the only person who saw who I really was sometimes... But I didn't fear it, because Hiro was the only one I never felt like I'd be judged. Not even as kids. He's the one who means most to me... "You need any water?"

I caught my breath, my heartbeat had slowed, "No. I'm fine." I rubbed the sleep dust from my eyes.

"What about milk? It'll help you get back to sleep." I knew he was worried about his big sister, but I had to be tough. No weakness.

"Hiro, I'm okay. Really!" I said not-so-reassuringly. He just gave me a look of doubt with his sad, fawn eyes but enlightened me by faking a grin.

"Okay..." He went to close the door, but I heard the creaking stop. By then I'd already laid down facing away, but I heard him say, "Love you."

He didn't see it, but my eyes stung and felt salty**‒**my heart got heavy; I smiled, but my voice remained drowsy and sullen, "Love you."

And God, I do.


End file.
